Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Less than 24 hours after restarting the war on the Gaza Strip on March 18, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had eliminated the de-facto prime minister of the Hamas-run government in the Palestinian enclave and several other top officials of the group.
Hamas acknowledged the deaths of Issam Da’alis, the head of the governmental activity monitoring committee, a position roughly akin to prime minister; Ahmad al-Khatta, the director-general of the group’s justice ministry; Mahmoud Abu Watfa, who headed the terror group’s interior ministry, responsible for the group’s police and internal security services in Gaza; and Bahjat Abu Sultan, head of the group’s internal security forces.
In a statement, the IDF said that it had killed those four senior Hamas officials, as part of its ongoing operation in Gaza, dubbed “Strength and Sword.”
The strikes have targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, members of the group’s politburo, and its infrastructure. Islamic Jihad members and infrastructure have also been targeted.
According to the IDF, the strikes are aimed at “causing a blow to the military and governmental capabilities of the Hamas terror organization, and removing a threat to Israel and its citizens.”
Da’alis, the de-facto Hamas prime minister, had replaced Rawhi Mushtaha following his killing by Israel in July 2024. The military said that as part of his role, Da’alis was “entrusted with the functioning of the Hamas terror regime in the Gaza Strip” and coordinating all the branches of the organization.
The military added that it can also confirm that al-Khatta, Abu Watfa, and Abu Sultan were killed in strikes on the first day of the operation.
From its side, the Islamic Jihad confirmed that its military spokesman Naji Abu Saif, also known as Abu Hamza, had been killed by the IDF.
More Israeli strikes targeted Gaza on March 19. The city of Khan Younis in the south of the Strip, the central area of al-Bureij, and the al-Tuffah area east of Gaza City in the north were all hit. Quds news, a Gazan outlet linked to Hamas, said the death toll in the Israeli operation is up to 429. Hamas-run health authorities had earlier put the death toll at 408.
Hamas had called on “friendly countries” to pressure the United States government into halting Israel’s renewed strikes on Gaza.
“We call on friendly countries to pressure the US administration to halt this aggression and genocidal war against defenseless civilians,” the group said in a statement released on March 18.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the resumption of fighting in Gaza on Hamas, citing the group’s refusal to advance talks.
According to Netanyahu, Hamas turned down all proposals to release more of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. He said that Israel “extended the ceasefire for weeks during which we did not receive hostages.”
Speaking in a recorded video statement released on March 18, the primer said that Israel sent delegations to Doha and Cairo, to no avail.
While Israel accepted US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for hostages to be freed and the ceasefire extended, he went on, “Hamas rejected every proposal, time after time.”
Netanyahu said that he always promised that if Hamas remained implacable, the military would resume the war on Gaza with growing force.
“And indeed, we have gone back to fighting,” Netanyahu said “We have gone back to fighting with force.”
“From now on,” the primer continued, “negotiations will be conducted only under fire.”
“This is only the beginning,” he warned.
The coming days will likely see more escalation in Gaza as Hamsa does not appear to be willing to compromise. The IDF could escalate strikes or even resume ground operations in the Strip. The death toll from the war on the Strip, which is thought to have exceeded 49,000, will without a doubt grow larger.
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